The Optimized Distance Calculation Method with Stereo Camera for an Autonomous Tomato Harvesting

An accurate estimation of the distance between the robot and the respective object is highly demanded in the robotics field. Proximity sensors such as laser scanners and sonar are mainly used to calculate distance. This research paper proposes a pair of Web cameras for distance measurement, by using stereo vision. A comparison of the accuracy of the calculations was done for 3 zones: left, right and center. This separation allows identifying possible distortion or camera failure at the edge of the image. As a result of the research, an accuracy of 71.939% was achieved. Also defined parameters which can help to improve the precision of object coordinates in 3D.